The seldom-mentioned “Grass Crown” (AKA: “Blockade Crown,” Latin: “corona graminea” or “corona obsidionalis”) was the highest and rarest of all military decorations within the Roman Empire.

Similar to our Congressional Medal of Honor, but it was conferred only upon a general whose actions saved a Legion, sometimes an entire army.

A general who broke a blockade, or in a situation of extreme desperation, ingeniously outsmarted a strong enemy, might be considered for this prestigious award, but generals were never allowed to confer the Crown upon themselves. There had to be unanimous consensus among those from lower ranks. It was graciously presented to the general by the army he saved!

The Crown itself was not ornate. It was humbly fashioned from grass recovered from the battlefield, and included flowers and cereal grains. None physically survive to this day.